(Disclosure: I was provided this book, free of charge, by Lion Hudson.)

We received Boz The Green Bear Next Door: Thank You God For Bananas, Bubbles & Busy Bodies. I found the animation exceptionally well done, as well as attractive to both little and adult eyes (as opposed to flat, one-dimensional animation). But it was more than the animation that attracted me. It was the concepts within the video. Exclaim Entertainment uses Boz, the Green Bear, to introduce common sense things to children, such as taking baths, eating healthy fruits and vegetables, and bodies growing stronger each day.

I love how each episode ends with the characters praying and that, in the midst of the episodes, the characters talk about God as if He was a part of their lives, instead of distant and unreachable.

Trailer for
Bananas, Bubbles & Busy Bodies

We also received Boz the Bear – A Wowiebozowee Christmas. The kids have watched this DVD five times in two weeks. Not because I’m relying on it for my parenting but because they are bringing it to me and asking for it! Boz the Bear – A Wowiebozowee Christmas, runs for approx. 45 minutes. The theme of the DVD is a lesson for preschoolers in the joy of giving gifts from the heart. To catch a sneak peek of this video, go here.

Are these videos worth the price? Yes! Absolutely. Preschoolers love them (at least in my home they do) and they learn valuable lessons from watching him – from B-o-zs and 1-2-3sto Using their Imaginations. Boz is a green bear that we will be adding into our DVD collection in the coming year. This Mama gives him two thumbs up!

My daughter and daycare kids have had other plans for Hal and Holly, however. Dressing and undressing Hal and Holly has provided endless hours of entertainment.

Holly stands at 16″ tall and has the cutest little ski outfit on – one that accommodates her tail and ears, with little slits for them in the pants and hat.  She has tiny Ugg boots, jeans, a white undershirt that lies under her red, down, zip-up jacket. She’s topped off with a red bow in her hair and a ski hat.

Hal, also stands at a sturdy 16″ high, has black boots, with jeans, undershirt, and a grey camo jacket (loving that jacket!). Topping him off are ski goggles and lights on his antlers. A press to his hand results in these lights flashing for a brief period of time, something, that of course, thrills the little ones.

Hal and Holly came with a book, Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure.  This adventure, I discovered, can actually be watched on Hulu, but the book is just as entertaining with it’s colorful illustrations.

This is more than a short children’s story. It’s actually a book with chapters. In this particular adventure, Hal and Holly have to work together to save Christmas and help Santa make his yearly flight.

As an added bonus to a delightful story that may just become a Christmas tradition, the book jacket actually unfolds to become a large wall poster. This too may become a yearly tradition, to get out and hang on a child’s wall, as the book is read and the DVD is watched.

Hal and Holly are a charming duo that would make a great gift for any child and/or even, family and are sure to be a part of Christmas in homes everywhere, in years to come!

The very day this package came, I was remarking to my husband that I wish I could find an Advent Calendar that was more than just lifting flaps on a piece of cardboard. This was it!

It took a little bit of setting up. The boxes had to be assembled and then filled with the different parts to the display, but once I figured out what I was doing, it went quickly. The end display is a scene that will delight any little boy,  complete with treasure chests full of precious stones and coins and knights with swords and shields! Each day, your child opens a box that contains a piece to complete the scene. A shield one day, a table the next, swords another day.

The trouble I ran into, in my household however, is the daycare kids couldn’t handle just doing one box at a time. They wanted to play with it immediately. Because the boxes contained parts to a whole, I could understand their frustration. For example, one day contained a fire pit that looked like nothing to a small child. Only I, knowing that the rest of that part was coming the following day, looked at it and knew what it was.

As a result of great frustration and constant begging, all the boxes ended up being opened the same day. It just made my life easier in the end.

This wasn’t a completely bad thing. The boys played with this display for hours.

The one other drawback I had to this Advent kit were the little coins and “jewels” that filled the chests. While they thrilled the boys, playing with this treasure resulted in tiny pieces all over my dining room floor- – again and again and again. For a neat freak like me, this drove me up the wall and finally, they were bagged and shelved. The boys then had to use their imaginations to fill their treasure chests, not the tiny pieces.

For those looking for alternative Advent calendars, Playmobil offers quite a few. For the boys, is this kit, for girls, there is a unicorn fairy world. There is also a Pirates Advent Kit and a Police Advent Kit.

***Disclosure:  Mama Buzz and reviewers, received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

The Story of Christmas is a charming way to introduce young children to the Christmas story. In fact, we will be using it in our home this year, on Christmas Eve, since our two year old wouldn’t be able to sit still for the entire full version of the Christmas Story.

With cartoon-like illustrations the book begins with the story of an angel’s message to Zechariah and ends with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus leaving Egypt and moving to Nazareth. In between those book ends, lies the story of John’s birth, Gabriel’s visit to Mary, Gabriel’s visit to Joseph, Jesus’ birth, the shepherd’s visit, The wisemen’s visit, and Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt. Each section contains that story in it’s entirety, yet told with a brevity that will capture a small child’s attention.

For older children, there is an added feature at the end of the book. This contains the pictures from each section, put in the wrong order. The goal is for children to pick out the pictures in the right sequence and tell the story themselves.

There is also a DVD that comes with the book, in which there are six animated Bibles stories about the life of Jesus.  Although the animation is simplistic in today’s world of big name movies that use computer animation, it’s captivating. My daughter and day care kids are as glued to this DVD as they are to a Disney movie–maybe even more so as it’s short enough in length to keep their attention the entire time.

$10.99 is a great value for this Christmas package and would make an excellent gift. A gift that can be used for years to come.

Mel’s Thoughts:
I sat down to read through this book With Jaden last night, as it was almost time for bed.  Read and Share’s The Story of Christmas is retold by Gwen Ellis.  It comes with a DVD that shares six stories from Jesus’ life, including:
1. John the Baptist
2. Jesus is Born
3. Where is Jesus?
4. Jesus Tempted by Satan
5. Jesus’ Life
6. Jesus Loves Children
This book is actually based on the International Children’s Bible.

Each section in the book is 2 pages and covers a pivotal story in the Christmas story.  The chapters are as follows:
An Angel’s Message
A Baby Named John
Mary’s Big Surprise
Joseph Marries Mary
God’s Baby Son
Some Sleepy Shepherds
What the Shepherds Saw
Gifts for Baby Jesus
Another Journey
Home at Last!

Each chapter weaves through the stories of Jesus’ birth, starting at the angel’s message to Zechariah, how John the Baptist was born, the story of how Mary and Joseph found out that Mary was with child, Jesus’ birth, etc.  Each chapter is short and sweet, which makes it really nice for younger children, especially toddlers, who don’t like to sit still for very long.  Each chapter also comes with a set passage of Scripture, all from Matthew and Luke, as well as a thinking question to discuss with your child.  At the end of the book is a section with just the pictures, so that your child can help to narrate the story back to you.  I really liked this part, since Jacob and I use narration a lot in school.  Jaden found the pictures of the animals, throughout the book, quite fascinating.  He loves to figure out what each animal is and then make the sounds that animal makes.  We had a lot of fun with the donkey.:)

I am actually thinking of using this book to read to the boys and to help me give illustrations when we set up our Nativity set this year.  I really want them to understand why we celebrate Christmas and what each figure in that set means, and this book would make an awesome tool for that.  Priced at $7.99 on Thomas Nelson, it is definitely a great buy, especially with Christmas just around the corner.